The spectacular development of cross-country skiing is the basis for the considerable progress in the resources placed at the disposal of cross-country skiers, in terms of both design and of materials used.
Practitioners of cross-country skiing being more and more numerous, a fairly large percentage of the population which they represent does not necessarily have a very high sport and technical level for practising the sport with maximum ease and safety. To remedy this situation, certain manufacturers of ski equipment have thought of perfecting cross-country ski bindings enabling safety release for the purpose of liberating the ski boot from the ski in the event of falls, shocks, etc., just as in the case of downhill skiing. Such bindings are described, e.g., in German patent Nos. 2,907,359 and 2,307,365, where the forward portion of the sole of the boot is attached in a directly releasable manner with respect to the ski, either a yoke or jaw releasable with respect to the ski, the toe of the boot remaining in said jaw. As regards safety, this type of device is of clear interest, but significant disadvantages remain as regards skiability, since the front of the foot is resiliently connected to the ski, preventing precise guidance of the ski.
Also known are devices for the lateral retention of the boot on the ski. These improve the precise guidance of the ski. However, since the lateral rentention device is intended to maintain the boot on the ski, it has properties different from, if not contrary to, those required for safety release, and particularly lateral safety.